Strange Days

Folks, something strange is going on inside the state of Georgia. The Dawgs are unranked, with an un-Richt-like record of 4-3. Meanwhile, the Georgia Tech Yella Jackets are 6-1 after defeating #4 Virginia Tech on the flats. This ain't 'sposed to happen. Sometimes, your little brother grows up and kicks your butt. It ain't right, but I guess it can occur.

As strange as it sounds, Paul Johnson has already elevated his program past UGA. While the Jackets continue to improve, Georgia is fighting to stay above 500. The poor play of Willie Martinez's defense, the lack of a rushing attack, and many untimely special teams snafus are plummeting Georgia's program into the ground. Yes, the Dawgs beat Vanderbilt. They were supposed to do that. Georgia rushed for 172 yards. On the surface, that's encouraging. But, there's no evidence to believe Georgia's running game is improved. Vanderbilt is porous against the run and they simply did what they do. The Commodores allow 170 yards rushing per game, which ranks them 11th in the SEC in stopping the run. Georgia didn't have a breakthrough performance in this aspect of the game. Sure, there were a couple of long runs. But, for the most part, Vanderbilt contained Georgia's lack luster rushing attack. The final numbers were skewered by a 39 yard run by WaShaun Ealey and some big plays by Dontavious Jackson, when the game was out of reach.

Meanwhile, Paul Johnson's Jackets continue to pummel opponents into the ground. Georgia Tech has become a serious contender in the ACC. They are in second place in the Coastal Division standings with a 4-1 record in conference play. GT only trails the lowly Virginia Cavaliers. Al Groh's squad is 2-0 in ACC action, but displays its true identity with a 3-3 overall record.

In summary, these are some very strange days in the state of Georgia. While UGA hopes to lift its season out of the toilet, Georgia Tech is one step closer to playing for the ACC championship. How has this happened so fast? Just last year, Mark Richt's Dawgs were the preseason #1 team in America. But, halfway through the next year, there's only one relevant team in Georgia. And, it's the one with the 55,000 seat stadium. Once again, these are some strange days, ya'll. Maybe the ghost of Bobby Dodd is up to no good.

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